Katara had chatted with the others at the feast after the ceremony, but her heart wasn't really in it. She knew that they could tell that she was quieter than usual, so she excused herself as being tired and headed off toward their guest chambers in the palace. Once she was out of sight of the banquet hall however, she began to make her way to Zuko's rooms.
She wasn't sure why she felt the need to speak with him in private; it was just a tight ball of feeling that had been growing in her chest since the final battle with Azula. She raised her fist to knock on the door, but then she head a yell followed by glass shattering. Katara threw open the door and ran into the room, preparing for a fight with the water she kept at her side.
Zuko spun around from his bureau and nearly loosed a stream of flame at Katara, the muscles of his bare torso taught, but stopped himself when he saw who it was. He had been in the process of taking off his ceremonial garb, the over-robe was flung onto a chair and his hair ornaments were lying on the tabletop. The mirror behind him was shattered and blood was running freely down his arm from several long gashes in it.
"What happened?!" Katara rushed to his side to examine his wound.
Zuko exhaled roughly. "I went to talk with my father about something. I wish I wouldn't let him get to me like this." He gestured at the mirror shards scattered behind him.
"Well you've certainly done a number on yourself." Katara jumped and turned toward the voice from behind her. Mai walked in from the hall, closing the door as she came into the room.
"Ah, Mai. I was wondering when you'd get here. You've met Katara right?" Zuko gestured with his uninjured hand.
"Of course I have. Several times in fact, when I was hunting her group down with Azula. You fight well." Katara blinked at the other woman's bluntness.
"Um, thanks. You're not bad yourself, I guess." Mai nodded in acknowledgment, and then looked at Zuko's arm. Katara returned her focus there as well, and frowned as she ran her hands over the wound.
"This is bleeding too much for me to heal it with what water I have. If this keeps up you'll be in real trouble." She glanced out the window at the full moon that was rising. Katara furrowed her brow, and then nodded shortly. "Right. Hold still."
"What are you…?" Katara hushed Zuko with a glare. She closed her eyes and inhaled, then exhaled slowly before concentrating intently on the blood flowing through Zuko's body. She focused on the gashes in his arm, pinpointing the tiny water molecules present there. With some effort, she stopped the blood in the veins, damming them temporarily to allow her to heal the wound. In a few short minutes the skin had closed around the gashes, leaving only pink lines to give any hint that they had been there.
Katara exhaled slowly and released the blood in Zuko's arm. She examined the healed area closely for a moment, then nodded and stepped back and looked up. Zuko flexed his hand, raising his arm to look at the remains of the wounds. Mai regarded her with a look of intense interest.
"What did you do? That didn't feel like your regular healings." Zuko said, lowering his hand.
Katara looked away, flushing slightly. "There's a technique called bloodbending, very powerful waterbenders can find water in blood and bend it like water. I stopped your blood temporarily so that I could heal your arm."
Mai raised an eyebrow. "I've never heard of it, sounds like a great battle technique." Zuko nodded in agreement.
"Yes, you could control your enemy's movements, prevent them from attacking."
Katara clenched her fists. "It's horrible! To take control of another person's body against their will, no one should have that power!" Zuko looked taken aback, and Mai raised an eyebrow again.
"I'm sorry, I didn't realize…" Zuko began.
"It's fine." Katara interrupted, waving her hand dismissively. "You couldn't have known. Besides, it can only be done during a full moon when waterbending is at its strongest." She stared out the window at the moon, and started a bit when she felt Zuko take her hands. Katara looked back into his face, to find him gazing at her earnestly.
"I'm deeply sorry if we have offended you. Especially since I seem to be in your debt again." Katara flushed and looked at the floor.
"It's really nothing…" She felt Zuko's fingers on her chin lifting her face to meet his gaze again.
"It's not nothing Katara. I am honored that you would perform a technique you despise in order to heal me." Katara blinked at the depth of feeling she saw in his eyes.
"Yes, thank you." Mai stepped sideways so that she stood slightly behind Zuko, and put her hand on his shoulder. The two of them exchanged a look, and something seemed to pass between them. Zuko turned back to Katara and raised her hands to his mouth, gently brushing his lips against her fingers. Katara felt a shiver go down her spine at the contact, and glanced at Mai. Mai was looking at her through lowered lashes, then bent her head and began to nuzzle Zuko's neck.
Katara looked back at Zuko to find a familiar heat in his eyes. He was still bent slightly over her hand, his lips hovering just above her fingers, waiting for her permission. His warm breath tickled over her skin. Katara closed her eyes and shuddered. Then she opened them and leaned forward to kiss him.
They stood like that for a moment, and then Zuko cupped her jaw and opened his lips, deepening the kiss. Katara ran her hand down his bare chest, stopping around his waist and pulling him closer. She felt Mai move around behind her, pressing up against her back and dragging her lips down her neck. Katara arched against Zuko, pushing her suddenly aching breasts against him. She felt Mai chuckle against her neck before her tongue laved at her racing pulse there.
Mai dragged the tip of her tongue up Katara's neck until she reached her ear, then she pulled Katara's lobe into her mouth and began to suck and nibble at it. Katara groaned into Zuko's mouth. He grinned against her lips and pulled away slightly, starting to lead her to the bed.
Katara felt Mai let go of her earlobe and drop behind them. Zuko maneuvered her to the edge of the bed and pulled her dress apart, pushing it off her shoulders and freeing her breasts. He bent his head and fastened his lips around one tight nipple, making Katara throw her head back and clutch at his scalp. Katara vaguely heard the bead creak slightly behind her, then felt Zuko push her down until she was sitting on the edge. He pulled her dress and pants off of her hips and flung them away with her boots, kneeling between her knees. He looked up for just long enough to give her a devilish smirk, and then nuzzled his way in between her thighs.
Katara gasped and spread her legs further apart, shuddering as she felt his tongue dart out. She jumped as Mai reached around from behind her to cup her breasts, lightly biting her neck and flicking her thumbs over Katara's nipples. Katara arched her back, pushing her breasts against Mai's hands and her head against her bare shoulder. Apparently Mai had hung back to disrobe.
Katara felt Mai's teeth leave her neck briefly, and her eyes fluttered open. She turned to the side briefly and saw Mai looking at her, their faces inches apart. Katara exhaled, feeling her breath catch on the way out. Mai bent her head and their lips met, their breath mingling together.
Katara's fingers tightened in Zuko's hair as Mai's tongue stroked into her mouth. Katara felt her toes curl, and she dragged her feet up and down Zuko's back. Zuko pulled back slightly and dragged his open mouth along the inside of her thigh. Katara moaned into Mai's mouth, and she felt the both of them smirk against her skin.
Zuko pulled back from his kneeling position on the floor and Katara broke her kiss with Mai to look up at him. He backed away slightly and started to pull off the rest of his clothes. Katara let her eyes linger for a moment on his lightly tanned and muscular torso then turned and kissed Mai again.
Katara drew her legs up under her, and then raised herself up on her knees. She turned so that her shoulders were squared to Mai's then pushed her back to lie flat on the bed. Katara lifted one leg up and over so that she straddled Mai's hips and trailed a hand down her side. Katara began to rock back and forth over Mai's hips so that she was creating friction for the both of them. Mai bucked under the sensation, and Katara grinned. She leaned forward until her body was lying flush on top of Mai's, and reached both of her hands down and around to squeeze Mai's backside, pulling Mai tighter to her still lightly thrusting hips. Mai hissed and arched under her, pushing their chests together.
Katara trailed her mouth along Mai's jaw, then down along her neck and collarbone until she reached her breast. She fastened her mouth around one nipple and began to suck lightly and she felt Mai's hands grip her head, fingernails scraping her scalp. Katara felt the edge of the bed dip as Zuko climbed on next to them. He got behind her and trailed his hands lightly down her back. She brought one hand up and traced around Mai's mouth until the other woman drew it between her lips and began to suck. Katara's other hand made its way down until she reached between them to Mai's entrance, teasing around the edges.
Zuko traced his hands down to Katara's hips and pulled them up into the air, forcing Katara to lean on her elbows in order not to put all of her weight onto Mai. While his lips began to follow the path of his fingers, Katara drew her hands forward around Mai's hips to the top of her thighs and then back up along her sides. Katara raised her head and kissed Mai again, leaning over her and using her leverage to deepen the kiss.
Katara felt Zuko tugging at her hips so she broke the kiss and turned to look at him.
"Sit up, and turn around." Katara furrowed her eyebrows but did as he requested, turning and swinging her leg over so that she was straddling Mai's hips with her back to her. She was almost thrown off balance when Mai sat up from underneath her; she had to grab Zuko's shoulders not to fall over. Zuko smirked and leaned over her shoulder until his lips met Mai's. Katara ducked her head down and fastened her lips around one of Zuko's nipples. She suckled gently at first, and then abruptly began to use her teeth. She chuckled as he jerked in response, breaking his kiss with Mai to raise an eyebrow at her. She smirked back, but quickly moaned as his fingers found their way to the inside of her thighs.
Katara began to rock again, finding friction between Mai's thighs and Zuko's fingers. Mai brought her hand around Katara and presented her palm in front of her face. Katara obligingly licked it for her, then watched as Mai reached down and grasped Zuko in her hand and began to work him. Mai's other hand slid up to cup Katara's breast, toying with her nipple. Katara tilted her head back and closed her eyes, losing herself in the sensation. Suddenly Zuko withdrew his fingers, and Katara's eyes snapped open. She looked down to see Zuko guiding himself into Mai's entrance, sliding under her in the process.
Katara felt Mai arch tightly against her back and Zuko grunted. He began to thrust slowly, forcing Katara to move up and down as he and Mai came together and moved apart underneath her. But because Katara was straddling Mai's lap, she was rubbing against Zuko with every thrust. Katara began to rock more, mirroring Mai's movements as Zuko started to snap his hips forward.
Mai brought her other hand up to grip Katara's other breast firmly, still circling her nipple with the first hand. Katara arched into the contact, her fingers digging into Zuko's shoulders as she could feel herself tightening in anticipation. Mai pinched her nipples, and Katara cried out sharply as she gave way. She could feel Mai spasm beneath her, and Zuko gave two or three more thrusts before clutching himself tightly to Mai and joined them in ecstasy.
The three of them slowly collapsed onto the bed together, Katara limply rolling out of the way so that Zuko and Mai could cuddle together. She caught her breath, allowing herself a few moments to stare blankly at the ceiling and simply drift. When she came back to herself, Katara looked over and saw that Mai and Zuko had fallen asleep in each other's arms. Katara quietly rolled off the bed and retrieved her clothing, pulling it on slowly so as not to wake the sleeping couple.
When she was dressed, she paused for a moment to look down at them. They were spooning; Zuko behind Mai with his hands wrapped around her protectively, her arms grasping his as if to ensure his grip couldn't be broken. Then Katara turned and pushed out the door, closing it behind her. She leaned against is for a moment, closing her eyes and tilting her head back. She felt the tight ball in her chest begin to dissolve slowly, and she sighed. Then she shook her head and opened her eyes. She pushed off the door and headed back to the guest chambers, knowing that, along with the war, that chapter in her life had ended.